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T. MIDGLEY.

I ART OF MAKING WIRE. No. 310,956. Patented Jan. 20, 1885.

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(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. MIDGLEY.

ART OF MAKING- W IRB. 7 No. 310,956. Patented Jan. 20,1885.

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THOMAS MIDGLEY, OF \VOBGESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOCHARLES G. \VASHBURN, OF SAME PLACE.

ART OF MAKING WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,956, dated January20, 1885.

(No model.)

1'0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS MIDGLEY, of Worcester, in the county of"Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain 5 new anduseful Improvements in the Art or Process of Making Wire; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being hadto the accompanyingdrawings, forming IO a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1represents a side view of an apparatus for carrying out my aforesaidimproved process of making wire. Fig. 2 represents a top or plan view ofthe apparatus shown in 15 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a verticallongitudinal section through the apparatus, taken on line C C, Fig. 2.Fig. 4 represents, upon an enlarged scale, a transverse vertical sectionthrough a portion of the apparatus, taken on line A. 13, Figs. 1 and 2,looking in the di rection of the arrows, same figures. Fig. 5represents, upon the same enlarged scale as Fig. 4, a horizontal sectionofa portion of the apparatus, taken on line a, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6represents, upon a still larger scale than Figs. 4 and 5, a View of oneof the slides of my apparatus, which will be hereinafter described.

The object of my invention is to provide a of metal prior to galvanizingor plating the same without the use of the strong injurious acids nowemployed for the purpose.

It consists in cleaning the wire by scouring the same between theannealing and galvaniz ing or plating operations, by passing said wirethrough sand, and sand mixed with other ingredients, contained in aseries of .compart' ments or boxes, as hereinafter described. 0 Toenable those skilled in the art to which my aforesaid inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it morein detail.

In the drawings, D represents part of an ordinary annealing-furnace, andE of a galvanizing or plating furnace, between which is arrangedmyapparatus for carrying out my improvements in the process of makingwire. In this instance, as will be seen by Fig. 2, I have represented adouble apparatus for treatmeans for cleaning wire and similar strandsing six strands, b, of wire, but do not limit myself to this number, asthe apparatus may be made to treat a greater or less number than theabove at one time without departing from the principle of my invention.A strand of wire having been annealed in the ordinary way by passingthrough the annealing-furnace D, it is then cleaned by my improvedprocess, and subsequently galvanized or plated in the following manner:After it leaves the 60 annealing-furnace it passes through a body of drysand contained in the compartment or receptacle F, which removes theworst of the inerustation formed on the wire, and thereby partiallycleaning the same. It then passes through a body of wet sand containedin a second receptacle, G, which is kept moist all the time by arranginga pipe, H, over the same, through which a flow of water is governed bymeans of an ordinary regulatingvalve, 0. This wet scouring process stillfurther removes the iuerustation formed on the surface of the wire, andleaves it comparatively smooth. It is next subjected to a thoroughscouring process by passing through a body of sand mixed with dilutedmuriatic acid, or other liquid for facilitating the cleaning operationwhich is contained in the box or compartment I. Said box is arranged toslide forward and "back longitudinally as the wire passes through it,being fitted in ways (I and c at each side of the same, and operated bya lever, J, connected at one end through a shaft, K, with said slidingbox, and at the other end with a disk or pulley, L, eccentric with itscenter. Said pulley L is fitted to turn on a journal, M, secured to theside of the apparatus, and to the side of said pulley is secured anotherpulley or flange, N, over which a belt, 0, is passed to turn the same,said belt also being passed over a driving-pulley, P, secured to adriving-shaft, Q, arranged above the machine.

If preferred, any other equivalent mechanism may be employed foroperating the sliding box I in lieu of that above described.

The operation of moving the securing material forward and back over thewire, as before described, removes nearly or quite all oxidation fromthe surface of said wire, the

scouring process being facilitated by the acid used with the sand, asbefore described. The wire next passes through a body of dry sand mixedwith cotton waste or other suitable wiping material contained in a boxor receptacle, 1%, which completes the scouring of the wire, and alsowipes it, leaving it clean, but a little moist alter the last-namedtreatment. It next passes through a diluted bath of acid orfluxing-fluid contained in a tank or receptacle,R, for iacilitating theadhesion of the coating material, and, finally, from this bath passesinto the galvanizing or plating furnace E, to be coated in the usualway, all of the aforesaid proccss being performed by a continuous andautomatic operation. In this instance I have represented the severalcompartments or receptacles as being attached together but, ifpreferred, they may be made sepa rately and arranged at any desireddistance apart from each other. The bottom of the cleaning apparatusunder the receptacles where liquids are used is made on an incline, asshown at f, so that all waste is carried off through an opening, g, andwaste-pipe 71. The parts marked z i are guards for keeping the dry sandused in the first compartment, F, within proper bounds, said compartmentbeing filled and the sand extended up over the end of theannealingd'urnace when in practical use. The parts marked j j areremovable slides, employed for preventing the contents of one receptaclepassing into the one next to it in the operation of cleaning the wires,as before described. Said receptacles being provided with vertical slotsZr, to admit of the insertion of the wires into the sand, necessitatesthe use of such slides j. The latter also serve as guides for the wires,being provided with grooves Z at their lower ends. They are fitted toslide up and down in suitable ways, 122, formed upon or fastened to thesides of the receptacles. The wires are in practice guided through theapparatus by means of guides and guide-rolls of ordinary construction.

My invention may be applied not only to wire, as before described, butalso to wire rods, iiat strips, and similar strands of metal,

which in practice may be annealed, cleaned, and galvanized or plated inlong lengths by a continuous and automatic operation, said cleaningprocess being performed, as herein before described, without the use ofany but the very weal; solution of acid necessary for producing adhesionof the coating material, and for facilitating the scouring process incleaning the wire. By thus dispensing with the strong acid solutionsusually employed for cleaning wire, I am enabled to produce a superiorquality of wire at a considerable reduction in expense, as will readilybe seen by those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains.

Having described my improvements in the art or process of making wire,what I claim therein as new and of my invention, and do sire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In the process of annealing, cleaning, and coating wire and similarstrands of metal by a continuous and automatic operation, cleaning thesame between the annealing and coating operations by first passing saidwire through a body of dry sand, thence through a body of sand wet withwater, thence through a moving body of sand wet with diluted acidsuitable for facilitating the scouring operation, thence through a bodyof dry sand mixed with a suitable wiping material, and, finally, justprior to being coated, through a bath of suitable diluted acid orfluXing-fluid, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with an annealing-fun nace and galvanizing orplating furnace for treating wire and similar strands of metal, of acleaning apparatus arranged between said furnaces, consisting of aseries of boxes or receptacles, F, G, I, It, and R, means for support-ing, guiding, and operating the sliding box I, means for providingthe compartment G with water, and means for disposing of waste liquidsfrom the apparatus, substantially as shown and described.

THOMAS MIDGLEY.

\Vitnesses:

ALBERT A. BARKER, \VALrnn B. NoUnsn.

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